biography
| name: |
Sargent, John Singer
|
pronunciation:
[sah(r)jnt]
| sex:
| male
|
| lived:
| (1856–1925)
|
| biography:
| Painter, born in Florence, Italy. The son of expatriate American parents, he studied in Florence (1871–2) and Paris (1874), visited Boston (1876), travelled, and returned to Paris (1880). He is praised for his portraits, such as ‘The Daughters of Edward Darley Boit’ (1882). A scandal erupted when he exhibited ‘Madame X’ (1884), because the subject, Madame Gautreau, used lavender powder and wore a low-cut gown. Paris was offended, Madame Gautreau refused the painting, and Sargent moved to London (1885). He was influenced by Velázquez, Impressionism, and Japanese composition, and his work is noted for its originality, insight, and technical polish. An extensive traveller, he was at home in London and Boston, and painted murals for the Boston Public Library (1890–1916) and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (c.1918–21). By 1910 he was weary of portrait painting, and he focused on masterful water colours, such as ‘Two Girls Fishing’ (1925). Both his oils and water colours have ensured his fame. |
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